Random selection ball formed of concentric spheres

ABSTRACT

An amusement ball having a hollow outer shell totally or partially formed of transparent material. The shell is provided with a plurality of indicia which may be randomly disposed. The ball also includes an inner sphere substantially concentrically disposed, being rotatably maintainable within the outer shell. The inner sphere is provided with a marker index at one point and a diametrically opposed counterweight, so that the inner sphere when disturbed will come to rest with its index mark uppermost, being disposed adjacent to one of the indicia of the outer shell.

United States Patent [15] 3,655,197 [451 Apr. 11, 1972 Milbaum [54]RANDOM SELECTION BALL FORMED OF CONCENTRIC SPHERES [72] lnventor:Michael Milbaum, 1581 Utica Avenue,

Brooklyn, NY. 11234 [22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 65,896

[52] US. Cl ..273/138 R, 273/58 F, 273/58 H, 273/146 [51] Int. Cl...A63f 5/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..273/146, 58 R, 58 13,58 BA, 273/58 D,58 E, 58 F, 58 G, 58 H, 138 R, 138 A, 143 R, 143 A, 143 B, 143 C, 143 D,143 E, 86 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 846,327 6/ 1939 France ..273/58F 870,967 3/1953 Germany..273/146 1,806,553 5/1970 Germany ..273/146 16,142 1910 GreatBritain.... ..273/146 160,249 3/ 1921 Great Britain ..273/ 146 PrimaryExaminer-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. KramerAttomey-Friedman & Goodman [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 4 Drawing FiguresPatented April 11, 1972 PIC-3.3.

FIG.

ATTORNEYS RANDOM SELECTION BALL FOD OF CONCENTRIC SPHERES BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION Many games and amusement devices require the selection ofan element from among a plurality of elements. The ball of the presentinvention provides for the selection of one out of a large number ofelements. The ball provides for this selection in a simple andrelatively effortless and automatic manner. It provides for a randomselection and is adaptable to a variety of different elements such asnumbers, letters, words or the like and is adaptable to a large varietyof games.

The element selected by means of the ball may be used directly forindicating scoring points, the formation of sequences of numbers, wordsor the like. Although the elements on the ball may themselves be wordsor the like, simple elements may be used to furnish indicators for thedetermination of answers, fortunes or the like. The ball, therefore, isuseable to furnish enjoyment in a large variety of ways and the user mayadd to his enjoyment by devising various methods of employment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The amusement ball of the present inventionincludes a hollow outer shell having a plurality of marks which may berandomly disposed, and is at least partially transparent. The marks maybe numbers, letters, words, figures, objects, or the like. Substantiallyfreely rotatable within the hollow shell is a sphere, the sphere beingprovided with an index mark and a counterweight located diametricallyopposite to the index mark so that when disturbed the sphere will cometo rest with the index mark substantially uppermost. In the restposition, the index mark is disposed adjacent to one of the marks of theouter shell.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide anamusement ball which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ball which may be usedfor education, entertainment, or amusement purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ball which inaddition to being suitable for the usual types of play such as throwing,catching, bouncing and the like, includes within its hollow interior anindicator which is movable relative to the shell, being visable fromoutside of the ball.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a ball of theabove type in which the indicator when observed by the player or playersforms the basis of a game, the indicator being associated with markingson the shell.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature andthe objects of the present invention reference should be made to thefollowing detailed description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a ball of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ball of the present invention takenalong line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the ball of the present invention takenalong line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 2, showinganother embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The ball 10 of the present invention has anouter shell 12 made of rubber, plastic or similar polymeric material.The shell 12 is in part or totally transparent, and is provided with aplurality of marks 16, shown in FIG. 1, as a random arrange ment ofletters and numbers. It is readily seen that these marks may be ofvarious types and variously placed and may also include variouscombinations of types.

Rotatably mounted within shell 12, pivoted at diametrically oppositepoints or members 24 and 26, a suspension ring 22 is provided. The pivotmembers 24, 26 preferably are conventionally secured to the shell 12 andhave projecting portions 25, 27 extending through apertures formed inthe ring 22. These apertures are spaced 180 apart.

Rotatably mounted upon suspension ring 22 and pivoted at twodiametrically opposite points or members 28 and 30, inner sphere 14 isprovided. The sphere pivoting points or members 28, 30 are located ashereinbefore stated at diametrically opposite points on ring 22, saiddiameter being perpendicular to the diameter defined by the mountingring pivoting points or members 24, 26. The pivot members 28, 30, aresimilar to members 24, 26. The members 28, 30 preferably areconventionally secured to the inner sphere l4 and have pro jectingportions 29, 31 extending through apertures formed in the ring 22. Theseapertures are also spaced 180 apart, so that the ring 22 has an apertureevery these apertures being equally spaced as set forth above.

Thus, while suspension ring 22 is free to rotate in one plane only withrespect to outer shell 12, the inner sphere 12 is free to rotate in anyplane whatsoever with respect to outer shell 12 because of its gimbalarrangement.

A point of inner sphere 14 is provided with an index mark 18.Diametrically opposite to index mark 18, counterweight 20 is provided.If the ball 10 is disturbed, as for instance by rolling along a surfaceand then allowed to rest, the inner sphere 14 will because of theinertial forces involved rotate independently of the ball 10 and come torest at a position relative to the outer shell 12 which will differ fromits position relative to shell 12 at the start of the disturbance.Sphere 14 will, because of the action of the counterweight 20, come torest with the index mark 18 uppermost.

As is readily understood, the index mark 18 will now locate a point onthe outer shell 12 which is different from the point located prior tothe disturbance. If the outer shell 12 is constructed of a transparentmaterial or if a transparent portion of the shell 12 is now uppermost,the ball 10 has now operated to select one of the plurality of marks 16.As indicated above, the index mark 18 can locate or select any mark 16of the outer shell 12 because of the free rotation provided by thegimbal arrangement. FIG. 4 discloses a ball 10A forming anotherembodiment of the present invention which illustrates another method forsuspending a sphere 14A inside a shell 12A permitting the sphere 14A torotate and come to rest in a position independent of the position of theshell 12A.

The diameter of the inner sphere 14A is less than the inner diameter ofthe shell 12A. This difference provides flotation space 32. A flotationliquid 34, chemically inert with reference to the material of which theball 10A is constructed, is introduced into the flotation space 32 andpartially fills the space 32. The liquid 34 selected has a density whichwill enable the sphere 14A to float at a predetermined height within theflotation space 32, preferably one where the inner sphere 14A and theouter shell 12A will be concentric. ,The methods and nature fordetermining this as well as the laws of flotation of bodies in liquidsare of course widely understood and generally available.

If ball 10A is now rolled, because of the action of the counterweight20A and the inertial, frictional and gravitational forces involved, thesphere 14A will oscillate for a short period of time and then will cometo rest with its index mark 18A uppermost to indicate or select one ofthe marks on the shell as hereinbefore explained, wherein the index mark18A is diametrically opposite to the counterweight 20A.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understoodthat the present disclosure relates to preferred embodiments of theinvention which is for purposes of illustration only, and not to beconstrued as a limitation of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball comprising a hollow spherical outer shell, an inner sphere inspaced relationship to said outer shell, said inner sphere being free torotate with respect to said outer shell, means maintaining said innersphere spaced from and in a freely rotatable relationship with saidouter shell, said outer shell being provided with a plurality ofvisually observable marks; said inner sphere being provided with anindex mark and a counterweight fixedly located diametrically opposite tosaid index mark, said index mark being visually observable through atransparent portion of said outer shell, whereby in a rest position saidcounterweight positions said index mark uppermost with said index markbeing disposed adjacent to one of the marks of said outer shell forselection thereof.

2. A ball according to claim 1, wherein said maintaining means includesa ring located and spaced between said inner sphere and said outershell, means pivotally supporting said ring on said outer shell at twodiametrically opposed points, means pivotally mounting said ring on saidinner sphere at two diametrically opposed points, wherein the axis ofrotation of said ring with respect to said outer shell is normal to theaxis of rotation of said ring with respect to said inner sphere.

3. A ball according to claim 1, wherein said maintaining means includesliquid means partially filling the space between said inner sphere andsaid outer shell, said liquid means being provided with a densitysufficient to float and maintain said inner sphere in a spacedrelationship with said outer shell.

4. A ball according to claim 3, wherein said liquid means maintains aconcentric relationship between said inner sphere and said outer shellin said rest position.

5. A ball according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell is atransparent material.

6. A ball according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of marks on saidouter shell are randomly distributed.

1. A ball comprising a hollow spherical outer shell, an inner sphere inspaced relationship to said outer shell, said inner sphere being free torotate with respect to said outer shell, means maintaining said innersphere spaced from and in a freely rotatable relationship with saidouter shell, said outer shell being provided with a plurality ofvisually observable marks; said inner sphere being provided with anindex mark and a counterweight fixedly located diametrically opposite tosaid index mark, said index mark being visually observable through atransparent portion of said outer shell, whereby in a rest position saidcounterweight positions said index mark uppermost with said index markbeing disposed adjacent to one of the marks of said outer shell forselection thereof.
 2. A ball according to claim 1, wherein saidmaintaining means includes a ring located and spaced between said innersphere and said outer shell, means pivotally supporting said ring onsaid outer shell at two diametrically opposed points, means pivotallymounting said ring on said inner sphere at two diametrically opposedpoints, wherein the axis of rotation of said ring with respect to saidouter shell is normal to the axis of rotation of said ring with respectto said inner sphere.
 3. A ball according to claim 1, wherein saidmaintaining means includes liquid means partially filling the spacebetween said inner sphere and said outer shell, said liquid means beingprovided with a density sufficient to float and maintain said innersphere in a spaced relationship with said outer shell.
 4. A ballaccording to claim 3, wherein said liquid means maintains a concentricrelationship between said inner sphere and said outer shell in said restposition.
 5. A ball according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell is atransparent material.
 6. A ball according to claim 1, wherein saidplurality of marks on said outer shell are randomly distributed.